Communication systems that use a pilot signal are known. A pilot signal typically comprises a signal of known character that a receiving device can utilize to better interpret and decode other signals as are transmitted in conjunction with the pilot signal. As such, the pilot signal in particular can be utilized to facilitate adjustment of various reception processing parameters to compensate, at least in part, for channel conditions.
In some wireless communication systems, a power ratio between a wirelessly communicated data signal and a wirelessly communicated pilot signal is needed to accurately scale received wirelessly communicated signals. Typically, the pilot-to-data power ratio is also wirelessly communicated by previous systems over an additional channel. The use of this additional channel requires the use of additional bandwidth and additional transmitting power. Receiving devices must also include additional circuitry and processing capability to accurately receive and decode the wirelessly received pilot-to-data ratio.
Communicating the ratio over a wireless channel will inevitably result in some errors due to the nature of wireless communication. These communication errors will result in lost information or an incorrect ratio may be utilized. Further, the pilot-to-data ratio is frequently adjusted multiple times within a single frame. This requires that the pilot-to-data ratio be wirelessly communicated multiple times during a frame. Receiving devices must also include additional complex circuitry in order to receive, decode and utilize the multiple pilot-to-data ratios communicated for each frame over the additional channel.